The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for repairing and sealing asphalt shingles and, more particularly, to several embodiments of a shingle patch for repairing hail damage to an asphalt shingle and to an integral nail/disk combination structure for eliminating exposed roof nails when applying new or replacement shingles to a roof structure.
Shingled roofs are typically laid in an overlapping pattern which necessarily requires the roofer to begin laying the shingles at the lowest point of the roof and moving horizontally until one row of shingles is complete. Asphalt shingles are typically nailed to the roof along the uppermost perimeter edge and the horizontal rows progress upwardly with each asphalt shingle slightly overlapping the one below it, thereby covering the nails securing the underlying shingle. With this progression, the shingles are laid in an overlapping specific pattern and it can be seen that at certain positions on the roof, for example, at edges abutting dormers, chimneys, and at the last row of shingles at the apex of the roof, the last course of nails will not be covered by an adjacent shingle and such uncovered nails are therefore exposed to the elements. If left exposed, such uncovered nails will corrode to the point that they may lose their grip or hold on the respective shingles that they are securing to the roof structure.
Shingled roofs are also subject to a wide variety of weather-related damage including hail damage, storm damage, wind damage and the like. In the particular case of hail damage, or any other damage to a particular asphalt shingle, the present methods for replacing damaged shingles are labor-intensive, time consuming and not very cost-effective, particularly, if the damaged shingles are located in the center portion of the roof structure. Current replacement methods typically require a roofer to remove the damaged shingles, which repair also then requires removal or at least lifting and separating surrounding shingles since shingled roofs are laid in an overlapping fashion as explained above. Because replacing individual shingles is time consuming, labor-intensive, and may even cause damage to surrounding shingles, there does exist a need for a better, less labor-intensive, and faster system for repairing damaged asphalt shingles without necessarily removing the damaged shingle.
Still further, since the last course of nails typically associated with an asphalt shingled roof are exposed to the elements, many building codes typically require that this last row of exposed roofing nails be sealed with some type of sealant. Roofers typically attempt to seal the exposed roof nails by using caulking to cover such nails. This is typically messy and an inefficient process. Almost all asphalt shingles come with a 25 or 50-year manufacturer's warranty. Caulking applied to the uncovered nail heads that are exposed to the elements will typically degrade and only last a few years. This breakdown in the caulking or other sealant also exposes the roof/shingle system to premature leaks and other damage thereby mandating that the sealing procedure be repeated to preserve the integrity of the roof structure. In addition, once a tube of caulking is opened, unavoidable exposure of the contents prevents reuse of leftover caulking at another job site. As a result, caulking is wasted and is usually discarded if not entirely used. As a result, there is likewise a need to develop a system for eliminating exposed roof nails, which system would last the life of the new shingles, match the colors of the existing shingles, and save time and money if caulking and other sealants could be eliminated from the roofing process.
In view of the foregoing, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that a need exists for both a shingle patch for hail damage repair of asphalt shingles as well as an integral nail/disk structure for eliminating exposed roof nails. The present invention addresses both of these needs as well as other needs which will become apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the present disclosure.